Improvement in whiffletree-couplings



l. A. 811. BEACH & i. G. RUGERS. yWhiffietrvee-Couplings.

Patented Aprl28,1874

sUNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN A. BEACH, JOSEPH BEACH, AND JOSEPH e. EOGEES, OE MADISON, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHlFFLETREE-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,126, dated April28, 1874; application filed october 21, 187e.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. BEACH, JOS. BEACH, and J os. G. ROGERS, or'the city of Madison, county of Jefferson, and State of Indiana, havejointly invented an Improvement in Vhifletree-Oouplings, of which thefollowing is a specification:

Our invention consists, essentially, in a device forcoupling'whiffletrees with cross-bars of vehicles, so as to secureelasticity, safety, and durability in the attachment.

Figure 1 is a plan of carriage-shafts embodying our invention. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal vertical section of a whiffletree-coupling, showing thoseparts which are at the right hand of the line g/ y drawn through Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, showing some of the parts whichare above the line w a: drawn through Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalvertical section of a coupling, showing those parts which are at theright hand of the line y y drawn through Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a transversevertical'section, showing parts which are above the line a drawn throughFig. 4.

Figs. 4 and 5 eXhibit an arrangement of parts which are equivalent tothose shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A A are shafts of a vehicle; B, a cross-bar; C, a whiffletree; c, astrap-loop or clevis. `e is a cross-bar fixture. a iS a bolt. S is aspiral spring. The strap-loop c embraces the crossbar B in such a manneras to be capable of a limited sliding motion backward and forward, andis attached to the whitfletree O by means of a bolt, a, in such a manneras to permit to the whifietree a limited horizontal oscillation. Thecross-bar fixture e is secured to the cross-l bar. It affordswearing-surfaces above and below, over which the strap-loop o moves. Thespiral spring S has a bearing at one end against the cross -bar ixturee, and at the other against the inner posterior surface of thestrap-loop c.

The parts being thus arranged, all tractile force applied to thewhifiletree is imparted to the vehicle through the medium of the spiralspring S in an elastic, gradual manner, so that all jerking is obviated,and the vehicle is enabled to move over rough roads with much less wearto itself, and much less discomfort to theoccupant, than when a rigidwhiffletreecoupling is used.

In order to prevent the strap-loop c from being displaced laterally, itis provided with the vertical ilanges t' i i i', as shown in Fig. 3,which embrace the lateral edges of the horizontal plates n n on theupper and lower surfaces of the cross-bar B, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

We do not conne ourselves to this particular device for preventinglateral displacement of the strap-loop c. An equivalent is shown inFigs. 2 and 3, the object being attained by a pin, p, Sliding in aperforation made through the cross-bar B and cross-bar fixture e. Stillanother equivalent is shown in Figs. 4 and 5,

lateral displacement being prevented by the ribs i fi on the innerhorizontal surfaces of the strap-loop c sliding in grooves in the upperand under edges of the cross-bar fixture e, which grooves are prolongedentirelyT across the cross-bar B, and through the upper and lower edgesof a plate, o, on the anterior surface of cross-bar.

In Order to retain the spiral spring S in its place, and to preventcrushing of the same, it is made to encircle bosses g h, as shown inFigs. 2 and 4.

The form and arrangement of parts as shown l in Figs. 4 and 5 weconsider preferable, on account of facility and cheapness ofmanufacture.

We claim as our inventionl. In a device for coupling whifiletrees tocross -bars, a sliding strap loop, c, provided with ribs i fi', incombination with a crossbar, B, provided with grooves and grooved xturese o, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. As a device for coupling whiietrees to crossbars, the combination ofa sliding straploop, o, and bar-fixture e with a Spiral spring, S, and abolt, a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a whiffletree, C, and crossbar B With a slidingloop, o, a bar-f1 ture, e, a spiral spring, S, and a bolt, a,substantially' as and for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses OHAS. S. STAPP, M. TEMPERLY.

